An entrepreneur is an individual who creates and/or invests in one or more businesses, bearing most of the risks, and therefore enjoying most of the rewards.

What is an entrepreneur?

These people are savvy, they are smart, and they like to push the limits. Entrepreneurs are often seen as innovative and they are known for getting creative as business disrupters!

Established entrepreneurs are great for start-ups as they can offer a great source of support and knowledge to help a business scale. For those businesses who are looking for help with their ‘Innovation Blind Spots’, an entrepreneur or investor could be the answer. They may see these blind spots from the outside looking in, offering a third person’s objective point of view.

If you don’t have access to an investor, mentor or entrepreneur as a business, find a group of director’s or business friends you trust with your business model, and see if the business has these blind spots, see if you can uncover them, go for a walk and don’t do this in the office, as the ideas that will solve your core fundamental problems are usually hiding in plain sight and a brisk walk whilst chatting to a group of people is sometimes better than a stuffy office.

In my mind, there are five different types of entrepreneurs.

1. Small business entrepreneur
2. The scalable start up
3. Large company
4. Social entrepreneur
5. Innovation entrepreneur

My business model with the Sussex Business show falls into two separate scalable pods in small business and innovation. Our business model had to pivot in March 2020 or fold. It was a stark choice, but one that had to be carefully managed.

Yet being an entrepreneur means that you have to constantly adapt and change in an ever-demanding marketplace to survive, thrive and succeed. We created two new revenue streams to create a diverse brand which enabled us to secure a higher market share.

But I must tell you now, that entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted, as you need to put in 100% of your time every day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, 365 days a year.

You’re not just a business owner, you’re the core focus of your company as an individual and a business leader. You must shine every day, to blaze a trail for others to follow.